News

2013-11-18 10:55:04.183

Lottery Winner Using Prize to Pay Son's Tuition

Christopher Henchek of St. Charles won’t have to worry about education bills for his son’s private school for the next couple of years, thanks to uncovering a $10,000 prize on a Missouri Lottery Scratchers ticket. The 46-year-old driver for Express Medical Transporters won the prize during a routine stop to fill up his shuttle van.

“I drive a handicap bus for children and adults, and that’s our gas station we go to,” Henchek explained, referring to Huck’s Food Store, 699 Salt Lick and Mexico Road, in St. Peters. “I was in there, and I thought, ‘What the heck. I’ll throw down $20.’”

After realizing he’d just won $10,000 on a “$5,000,000 Jackpot” Scratchers ticket, the first-time Lottery winner “took a picture and texted it to about six people.”

“I asked them, ‘What is this?’ (Because) I thought I was seeing things,” he revealed.

After exchanging text messages and telephone calls with his family and friends, he reported that he calmly returned to his St. Charles County home and “had a Coke.”

The lucky Lottery winner declared that the windfall will be “going back to education,” which is a welcome relief for Henchek and his wife of 18 years, Brenda.

“My little boy is in Catholic school,” he added. “I don’t have to pay for grade school for two years!”

Henchek teased that the birth of his 8-year-old son was the most exciting moment of his life, but his recent Lottery win is “a close second.”

“$5,000,000 Jackpot” is a $20 game that officially started on Aug. 5. To date, two top prizes of $5 million, as wells as thousands of prizes ranging from $20 to $100,000, remain in play.